Friday, November 10, 2017

Back again with another British Invasion reunion tour of America.This tour took place a decadeafter Richard Nader’s watershed tour in 1973.Billed as the “20th Anniversary of British Rock,” this tour featuredGerry Marsden, Billy J. Kramer, Herman’s Hermits, the Troggs, and Badfinger featuring Joey Molland.Organized by Talent Consultants International, Executive Producers: Empire Communications, Inc., NYC, NY -- Ray Reneri and Marvin Mann.This version of Herman’s Hermits contained only Lek Leckenby and Barry Witwam of the original band along with Garth Elliott and Paul Farnell.This tour booked the package into more modest venues and definitely did not hit all the major markets.

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Billy J. Kramer, Gerry Marsden and Joey Molland in Washington DC

July 4, 1984

Boston, MA

August 1, 1984

Baltimore, MD

This show was cancelled

August 2, 1984

Hilton Hotel Ballroom, Washington, DC

August 3, 1984

North Forty Club, Ithica, NY

August 4, 1984

Rio Theatre, Valley Stream, NY

August 5, 1984

Lupos Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI

August 7, 1984

Club Casino, Hampton Beach, NH

August 9, 1984

Birch Hill Swim Club, Old Bridge, NJ

TV crews from all three major networks plus MTV are at the show to film and interview the bands.

Monday, May 29, 2017

After
another successful year, Irvin Feld finds the field crowded this year.DJ Alan Freed put together a package called
the Big Beat Show to run head to head against this tour.Universal Attractions, who booked a large
stable of black acts, put together the Rhythm and Blues Cavalcade of '58 to
tour.And Dick Clark announced plans for
a package tour for later in the year.A
battle for prime venues in key cities and talent took place in an atmosphere of
an economic downturn.Then on May 6 in
Boston a riot broke out during Alan Freed's Big Beat Show leading to the
cancellation of the remainder of that package.The R&B Cavalcade had also ground to a halt with only the Biggest
Show of Stars completing its itinerary.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Promoter Irvin Feld booked the fall edition of the Biggest Show of Stars to cover 28 states and 5 Canadian provinces with a total of 80 shows. Even before the tour began, it made headlines when the September 8 show in Washington DC was cancelled when city commissioners banned headliner Fats Domino from appearing because his behavior would lead to a riot requiring every policeman in the city. Feld, a native of Washington DC, moved the show to Annapolis. This package adds the red-hot Buddy Holly and the Crickets and Paul Anka to the lineup.

A huge 30,000 crowd packs the Forum for two shows for a gross of $51,890.

September
16, 1957 War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, NY

September
17, 1957 War Memorial Audiorium, Rochester, NY

September
18, 1957 Coliseum, Baltimore, MD

September
19, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh, NC

September
20, 1957 Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC

September
21, 1957 Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

September
22, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, GA

September 23, 1957 New Auditorium, Columbus, GA

September 24, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Chattanooga, TN

Starting today, Paul Anka, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and the Everly Brothers are dropped from the lineup for the next five shows since black performers and with performers cannot appear together in those cities.

September 25, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Birmingham, AL

September 26, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA

September 27, 1957 Auditorium, Memphis, TN

September
28, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Tulsa, OK

The Everlys, Buddy Holly and the Crickets and Paul Anka return to the lineup tonight. During the day, Buddy and the Crickets go to Tinker Air Force Base and record four songs including Maybe Baby in the Officer's Club Lounge.

September
29, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, OK

Two shows booked at 4 and 8 p.m.

September
30, 1957 City Auditorium, Wichita Falls, TX

October
1, 1957 New Auditorium, Dallas, TX

October
2, 1957 Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Worth, TX

October
3, 1957 Heart of Texas Coliseum, Waco, TX

October
4, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX

Two shows at 7:30 and 10 p.m.

October
5, 1957 Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, TX

Two shows are booked at 7 and 10:30 p.m.

October
6, 1957 Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX

October
7 ,1957 City Coliseum, Austin, TX

October
8, 1957 City Auditorium, El Paso, TX

October
9, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM

October
10, 1957 Calalina High School Gym, Tucson, AZ

October
11, 1957 Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ

October
12, 1957 Mission Beach Ballroom, San Diego, CA

Tonight's show is a sell-out.

October
13, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Fresno, CA

October
15, 1957 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA

Starting with today's show and running the remainder of the tour, Feld drops the black acts The Bobbettes, The Spaniels, and Johnnie and Joe and adds Eddie Cochrane, Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen to the lineup. Fats Domino also choses to close the first half of the show so he can have his evenings free for partying and socializing.

The cast throws a surprise birthday party for Irvin Feld after one of these shows. He was lured to the party by the report that Lavern Baker and Clyde McPhatter were fighting.

October
27, 1957 Coliseum, Spokane, WA

October
28, 1957 University of Idaho, Moscow, ID

Having had their fill of Paul Anka's bratty behavior, the cast decides to strike back. Backstage, several acts strip Anka while Lavern Baker smears him with blackened cold cream and then dumps two pillows of feathers on him.

October
29, 1957 Stampede Corral, Calgary, Canada

October
30, 1957 Edmonton Gardens, Edmonton, Canada

October
31, 1957 Exhibition Auditorium, Regina, Canada

November
1, 1957 Arena Auditorium, Denver, CO

Feld adds the Diamonds to the lineup, increasing the number of white artists to over half. After the show, radio DJ Freeman "Free" Hover conducts interviews in Eddie Cochrane's suite for KCSR in Chadron, Nebraska of several stars of the show. Amazingly, these interviews have survived and can be found on YouTube

November
2, 1957 Forum, Wichita, KS

November
3, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO

November
4, 1957 Music Hall City Auditorium, Omaha, NE

November
5, 1957 Arena Municipal Auditorium, Topeka, KS

November
6, 1957 Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO

One show booked at 8:30 p.m.

November
7, 1957 Indiana Theater, Indianapolis, IN

November
8, 1957 Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN

November
9, 1957 Fairgrounds Coliseum, Louisville, KY

November
10, 1957 Fox Theater, Detroit, MI

November
11, 1957 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH

November
12, 1957 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA

November
13, 1957 Warner Brothers Theatre, Erie, PA

November
14, 1957 RPI Fieldhouse, Troy, NY

November
15, 1957 Boston Gardens, Boston, MA

Boston police prove to be tough on the fans as they arrest dozens of kids and kicked out another dozen for dancing.

November
16, 1957 State Theater, Hartford, CT

November
17, 1957 Forum, Montreal, Canada

A return booking to accommodate the fans who didn't get into the shows back in September.

November
18, 1957 Auditorium Arena, Toronto, Canada

November
19, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Buffalo, NY

November
20, 1957 Arena, Philadelphia, PA

November 21, 1957 Paramount Theater, Brooklyn, NY

LOOK magazine sends a photographer to the show and the bulk of the attention goes to Fats Domino despite several of the acts who went to #1 during the tour.

November
22, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Norfolk, VA

November
23, 1957 Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

November
24, 1957 Mosque, Richmond, VA

The wrap party was held in a club that did not usually allow blacks, yet another big step that rock n' roll was going to continue to push the envelope.

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About Me

A professional historian who specializes in rock n' roll history, I am usually buried deep in documents or microfilm searching for new information or confirming concert dates. Of course, I have a real job that pays the bills...this is for fun...honest!